Computer users frequently desire to locate specific information contained in various repositories. For example, computer users often conduct searches across the Internet for information responsive to user entered queries. Similarly, searches can be conducted across company intranets or clusters. Further, searches can be conducted on information stored locally on a personal computer. Typically, users must search in these places separately.
The storage of indexed search data locally addresses concerns related to privacy and the proprietary nature of certain data. However, locally stored search data are lost if the machine used to conduct a search crashes or otherwise becomes inoperable. In addition, searches previously performed by a user on one device are not available to that user on other devices. Similarly, searches performed on one device are not available to other users, even though access to previously performed search data could be beneficial to such other users.
In addition to search engines operative to search publicly accessible data, search engines have been developed for use across proprietary databases. Search engines have also been developed for use in locating information stored on individual machines. However, the set of devices that can be searched, particularly in connection with proprietary networks and machines, has typically been static. Moreover, searching across peer user devices and/or desktops has been prohibited. Accordingly, sources of potentially relevant data have been unavailable.